Wind instrument possessing at least three valves

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a brass wind instrument comprising a first, second and third rotary valve and a first, second and third valve slide associated with said first, second and third rotary valve, respectively, for changing the total valve slide length in accordance with a whole, a half and 1 1/2 tones. A first auxiliary rotary valve is operably connected with said first rotary valve and a second auxiliary rotary valve is operably connected with said second rotary valve. The first auxiliary rotary valve and the second auxiliary rotary valve are coaxially arranged with respect to said first rotary valve and said second rotary valve, respectively, both said auxiliary rotary valves being connected in series between sections of said third valve slide. A compensating loop is provided for each said first and second auxiliary rotary valves, said compensating loops each possessing such a length that upon actuation of said first rotary valve and said first auxiliary rotary valve together with said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said first compensating loop with said third valve slide, and also upon actuation of said second rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary valve together with said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said second compensating loop with the third valve slide, there results a purer tone.

United States Patent 72] Inventor Peter Hirsbrunner Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson g SumiSWald, Bern, Switzerland Assistant Examiner-John F. Gonzales [21] Appl. No. 850,068 Attorney-Werner W. Kleeman [22] Filed Aug.-l4, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 12, 1971 [32] Priority Aug. 23, 1968 ABSTRACT: There IS disclosed a brass wind instrument com- [33] Switzerland prising a first, second and third rotary valve and a first, second 3 N 12662/68 and third valve slide associated with said first, second and third rotary valve, respectively, for changing the total valve slide length in accordance with a whole, a half and 1 /2 tones. A first auxiliary rotary valve is operably connected with said WIND INSTRUMENT POSSESSING AT LEAST first rotary valve and a second auxiliary rotary valve is THREE VALVES operably connected with said second rotary valve. The first 3 Claims, 3 Drawing g auxiliary rotary valve and the second auxiliary rotary valve are [52] US. Cl 84/390, coaxiany arranged with respect said first rotary valve and 8489?, said second rotary valve, respectively, both said auxiliary ro- [51] Int. Cl Gl0d 9/04 tary valves being connected in Series between F of Said 50 Field ofSearch 84/393, third Valve Slide- A compensating P PTOVIded for each 390, 388 389 39] 392, 394 387 said first and second auxiliary rotary valves, said compensating loops each possessing such a length that upon actuation of [56] Refe en e Cited said first rotary valve and said first auxiliary rotary valve UNITED STATES PATENTS together with said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said first com ensatin loo with said third valve slide, and 2,484,408 10/1949 Hubley 84/390 also upon acfilanon 5 g, Second rotary valve and said FOREIGN PATENTS second auxiliary rotary valve together with said third rotary 117,592 1899 Germany 84/394 valve, due to connecting in of said second compensating loop 262,300 1949 Switzerland 84/393 with the third valve slide, there results a purer tone.

\ i i \i PATENTED JAN] 212m FIG. 7

R o T u 6 v v N I PeTeR HiRsbRuNNcR HTro may s BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates broadly to musical instruments and, more specifically, is directed to a new and improved metallic wind instrument, more commonly referred to as a brass wind instrument, which is of the type incorporating at least three valves.

As has been generally known among experts in the field for quite some time, an intonation error occurs when using the valves 1 and 3 and l, 2 and 3 in a brass wind instrument.

Proposals have been made to overcome such defects in a brass wind instrument having three valves in that there is provided for one of the valve slides an auxiliary valve equipped with an auxiliary valve slide or compensating loop, the auxiliary valve increasing'the air; path of the valve slide and being controllable by means of one of the three valves or pressers, Further, the aforementioned controllable auxiliary valve provided with the'compensating loop is arranged in such a fashion that upon simultaneous actuation'ot both'the first and third valves as well as alsoallthree valves the compensating loop is rendered operable and, therefore, the length of the air path of the instrument is increased for the purpose of achieving a purer sound or tone of the instrument when using the aforementioned valve combinations.

Although this solution does provide certain improvements, nonetheless, however, it has the drawback that with only one compensating loop the length thereof can only be properly accommodated to a single valve combination or a compromise must be made for such accommodation. Secondly, in order to control the auxiliary valve there must beprovided-a complicated transmission system utilizing levers.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved wind instrument which effectively overcomes the previously indicated drawbacks of the prior art constructions.

Still a further significant object of the'present invention is to provide an improved construction of wind instrument which, when being played, gives a purer tone.

The invention has for one of its primary objectives to overcome the previously mentioned drawbacks of the prior art instruments by means of a wind instrument having a first, second and third rotary valve and a respective first, second and third valve slide associated with each such rotary valve for changing the total valve slide length in accordance with a whole, a half and a l':& tone progression. More precisely, such prior art drawbacks can be obviated by means of the teachings of the invention in that, a first auxiliary rotary valve is fixedly connected with the first rotary valve and a second auxiliary rotary valve is fixedly connected with the second rotary valve and each is arranged coaxially there adjacent. The auxiliary valves are arranged behind one another between sections of the third valve slide. Each of both auxiliary valves has associated therewith a compensating loop. The compensating loops each possess such a length that upon actuation of the first valve and the first auxiliary valve together with the third valve, due to connecting in the first compensating loop with the third valve slide, and also upon actuation of the second valve and the second auxiliary valve together with the third valve, due to connecting in of the second compensating loop with the third valve slide, there results a purer tone or intonation.

It will be appreciated that an analogous solution can also b readily provided for a brass wind instrument possessing four rotary valves. I

A double valve or two-story or tiered valve arrangement, as such is represented by the combination of the first rotary valve with the auxiliary valve, is known to the art for other purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent. when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a portion of the inventive brass wind instrument equipped with the valves and valve slides, partially in sectional view, taken substantially .along the line H of FIG. 2; I FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG.

1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the instrument shown in FIG. taken substantially along the line III-ll| of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Describing now the drawing, it will be understood that only enough of the inventivebrass wind instrument has been depicted so that one skilled in the art will readily understand the underlying concepts of the invention. Those portions of the instrument'which are essentially conventional have therefore been omitted for this reason and in order to preserve clarity in illustration. More specifically, then, .it will be seen that reference numeral 1 represents the valve slide which communicates with the mouthpiece of the brass wind instrument. Furthermore, reference numeral 2 denotes the valve slide which defines the outlet to the main tuning slide, and reference numerals 3, 4 and 5 represent the first, second and third rotary valves, respectively. Continuing, it will be seen that a first valve slide 6 is associatedwith the first rotary valve 3 in order to change the total valve slide length by a wholetone, and a second valve slide 7 associated with the second rotary valve 4 serves to change the total'valve slide length by a halftone. Finally, the valve slide 8, 9, 10 associated with the third valve 5 and serving to change the total valve slide length by 1% tones possesses the three valve slide sections 8, 9 and 10.

Additionally, it will be recognized that a first auxiliary rotary valve 11 is fixedly connected with the first rotary valve 3 and a second auxiliary rotary valve, 12 is fixedly connected with the second rotary valve 4. The first auxiliary rotary valve 11 as well as the second auxiliary rotary valve 12 are each substantially coaxially arranged adjacent their respective first rotary valve 3 and second rotary valve 4. as best seen by referring to FIG. 2. The first auxiliary rotary. valve II is connected between the valve slide sections 9 and 10, and the second auxiliary rotary valve 12 is connected between the valve slide sections 8 and 9. A first compensating loop or auxiliary valve slide 13 is associated with the first auxiliary rotary valve II, the length of which is dimensioned such that upon actuation of the first valve 3 and the first auxiliary'valve I] together with the third valve 5 there. results a purer tone or intonation. Moreover, a second compensating loop or auxiliary valve slide 14 is associated with the second auxiliary rotary valve 12 and which is dimensionedsuch that upon actuation of the second valve 4 and the second auxiliary valve 12 together withthe third valve 5 there also results a purer tone or intonation.

It will thus readily be recognized that upon actuation of only the first or only the second valve the therewith associated actuation of the first or second auxiliary valve, respectively, does not have any effect upon the pitch, since these auxiliary valves are mounted between sections of the third valve slide. Such third valve slide, upon nonactuation of the third valve remains switched out together with the first and second compensating loops.

- At this juncture it is also mentioned that the movable means or element, that is to say the rotary portion of the double or two-story second rotary valve arrangement 4, l2 and the double or two-story first rotary valve arrangement 3. II are advantageously formed of titanium, specific weight 4.2, and the single or one-story third rotary valve 5 of brass, specific weight 8.6. Thus, with approximately double the volume of reference to the annexed the mass to be acceleratedfor the movable rotary -.components, the required actuation force and the requirediforce .of the return spring for allthree-valves is approximately the In so doing,the length of these compensating loops should be chosen in an analogous manner heretofore described.

Itshould be apparent from the foregoing detaileddescription, that the objects set forth at the outset to the specification have been successfully achieved.

lclaim: 1. A brass wind instrument comprisinga first, second and third rotary valve, a first, second and'third valve slide associated with said first, second and third rotary valve, respectively, for changing the totalvalve slide length in accordance with a whole, a half and 1% tones, a first auxiliary rotary valve fixedly connected with said first rotary valve, a second auxiliary rotary valve fixedly connected with said second rotary valve, said first auxiliary rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary' valve being coaxially arranged with. respect to said'first .rotarytvalve and said second rotary valve, respectively. both of said auxiliary rotary valves being connected in series between .sections-ofsaid third valve slide,-a respective compensating .loopprovidedtforeach said first and secondauxiliary rotary valves, saidcompensating loops eachpossessingsuch a length that upon actuation of said first rotaryvalveand saidfirst auxiliaryvrotary valve together with saidzthird rotary valve, due to connecting in of said'first compensating: loop, with said third valve slide,.and also upon actuationof said second rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary valve togethenwith said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said second com- ;pensating loop with said third valve-slide, there results a pure tone.

(2. A' brass -wind instrument as defined in claim -l, wherein said first rotary valve and said firstauxiliary rotary valve are arranged to provide a two-story rotary. valve arrangement, and

wherein said second rotary valve andsaid second auxiliary rotary valve are arranged to provide .a second two-story rotary .valvearrangement.

3. A brass wind instrument as defined in claim 2, wherein said first and second two-story rotary valve arrangements are formed of titanium, and said third rotary valve is formed of brass. 

1. A brass wind instrument comprising a first, second and third rotary valve, a first, second and third valve slide associated with said first, second and third rotary valve, respectively, for changing the total valve slide length in accordance with a whole, a half and 1 1/2 tones, a first auxiliary rotary valve fixedly connected with said first rotary valve, a second auxiliary rotary valve fixedly connected with said second rotary valve, said first auxiliary rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary valve being coaxially arranged with respect to said first rotary valve and said second rotary valve, respectively, both of said auxiliary rotary valves being connected in series between sections of said third valve slide, a respective compensating loop provided for each said first and second auxiliary rotary valves, said compensating loops each possessing such a length that upon actuation of said first rotary valve and said first auxiliary rotary valve together with said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said first compensating loop with said third valve slide, and also upon actuation of said second rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary valve together with said third rotary valve, due to connecting in of said second compensating loop with said Third valve slide, there results a pure tone.
 2. A brass wind instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said first rotary valve and said first auxiliary rotary valve are arranged to provide a two-story rotary valve arrangement, and wherein said second rotary valve and said second auxiliary rotary valve are arranged to provide a second two-story rotary valve arrangement.
 3. A brass wind instrument as defined in claim 2, wherein said first and second two-story rotary valve arrangements are formed of titanium, and said third rotary valve is formed of brass. 